Episode 3
928 Words
PASCAL'S POV
My family never stopped.
The same words circled my ears at every dinner and every gathering.
“When will you marry, Pascal?”
“You’re not getting younger.”
“Our family name needs an heir.”
That night had been no different.
My mother had sighed while my aunts had whisperes behind their wine glasses.
And all of their complains had blended into a dull roar at the back of my head.
I was in a foul mood by the time I had even returned to my office that morning.
My assistant had followed me in, carrying files and eyeing me carefully.
“Rough weekend?” he had asked as he placed all of them in the table.
“You could say that,” I muttered.
“They want you married again?” he asked as I lowered my tall frame into the chair.
I shot him a sharp look.
But, he only smiled faintly.
He had been with me long enough to know exactly how all of this went.
“They want an heir,” I said.
“As if I could just pick someone at random and hand them my life,” I groused.
“Well, you could do that," he shrugged.
I looked up at him.
"Pardon?"
"You could have a contract marriage, one that is in name only," he proposed.
My brain tingled at the idea.
"That way you would keep your freedom, and they would get their heir."
Je straightened.
"Everyone wins.”
I paused, considering it.
The proposal was cold and practical, exactly the kind of solution I preferred.
“A contract marriage,” I repeated.
He nodded.
“Find a suitable lady that is strong enough to stand beside you. But she must be willing to keep her emotions out of it.”
He turned and left the room after throwing a knowing wink in my direction.
The idea had settled in my mind.
Maybe it was the answer.
And I had had my doubts until she had walked into my office that afternoon.
Kendra Patterson.
Her head was held high.
Her shoulders squared like she carried the weight of the world on jit.
And perhaps she did.
But what caught me first was her presence and that her striking figure.
There was also something about the quiet power in the way that she moved.
I wasn’t even expecting it, and my eyes lit up before I could stop myself.
She was the perfect candidate.
And even more enticing and exciting was the fact I knew she needed my help.
We sat across from each other and as she laid out her case and company’s state.
I admired her determination and her confidence and felt a spark.
She didn’t fumble.
She didn’t beg.
She spoke as though she belonged here, facing me without an iota of fear.
I listened and watched her.
There was something about her drew me in, and it was not just her beauty.
It was her resilent fire.
And when she had finished, I leaned back in my chair and proposed marriage.
I had watched her face morph into disbelief as shock as the words hit her hard.
“Marry you?”
I had let the silence stretch a moment longer just to test her composure.
She didn’t waver.
Her lips pressed into a thin line.
I could almost see her calculating the risks and weighing pride against necessity.
“What if I say no?” she had asked.
“Then your company falls, and you will be left with nothing but it's ashes.”
I didn’t soften it.
The truth was truth.
I saw her falter for the first time as she clutched her chest.
I didn't have time. My family wanted my marriage and an heir immediately.
She wanted her company saved.
This was for the best.
"Fine," she announced, "I agree."
She lowered her gaze for a moment and then she looked back at me.
“I have one condition of my own.”
That caught my interest.
“Go on.”
“You will not cheat during the duration of this marriage,” she simply said.
Her eyes burned into mine and I felt the corner of my mouth tug upward.
“You surprise me, Kendra. Most women might have asked me for more money or even power. But you ask for loyalty.”
“I ask for respect,” she corrected me.
Respect.
The word lingered in my mind as I stood in front of her.
“I will not cheat during our contractual marriage. You have my word.”
"And it to the contract," she said.
I stared at her, amused.
“I will."
She nodded with satisfaction.
"I will have it drawn up and the engagement will be held within the week.”
She gripped the edge of her chair. “Isn't that too quick?” she demanded.
I shook my head calmly.
“No.”
She hesitated for a moment and lifted her chin with pride. “Then we have a deal.”
She extended her hand to me.
I hesitated for only a second as my gaze lingered on her for a moment.
Then, I slowly placed my palm in hers.
Her grip was warm and firm.
And just like that, it was done.
For a moment, the office was silent except for the faint hum of the city below.
I studied her face and the unyielding strength sitting behind her gaze.
And I thought—perhaps this arrangement could eventually be more than business.
- Writer
